Another Glenn Beck Inspired Domestic Terrorist

While Glenn Beck scoffs at the notion that his followers would ever harm anyone, his followers keep proving him wrong. This time it’s an Idaho man who has now pleaded guilty to federal gun charges and manufacturing grenades.

“Kenneth B. Kimbley Jr., 58, discussed bombing local bridges with an undercover federal agent and made threatening statements toward President Barack Obama, leading investigators last July to seize 20,000 ammunition rounds and several firearms from Kimbley’s property, where he and other suspected militia members gathered to construct grenades, according to court documents.”

Kimbley was a felon and, as such, was already prohibited from possessing firearms. But his aspirations that led to this arrest far exceeded any simple desire to exercise any second amendment rights. The Southern Poverty Law Center identified Kimbley as the leader of the Brotherhood of America Patriots, an extreme-right militia, and notes that at the time of his arrest he had 20,000 rounds of ammunition, a stock of firearms, and materials he planned to use to construct grenades.

Kimbley admitted guilt without any plea deal and faces up to 10 years in prison. His inspiration for his lawlessness was his “idol,” Glenn Beck. In his defense his attorney was quoted as saying that…

“…everything said by Mr. Kimbley is no different than what his idol, TV commentator Glenn Beck, typically states on the air.”

I’m not sure if that’s much of a defense for Kimbley, but it is a pretty good indictment of Beck. What Beck typically says on the air is overtly hostile and incendiary. Despite frequently imploring his viewers to be peaceful, he cannot be absolved of responsibility when he also alarms them with terrifying tales of radicals conspiring to destroy their country, offend their God, and murder their families. In the face of that sort of looming nightmare, what would you do? And by the way, when a television host has to repeatedly remind his viewers not to kill anybody, what does that say about him and his employer?

This is not an isolated incident. In the recent past there have been other would-be terrorists who believed they were doing Beck’s bidding. Last July Byron Williams was captured after a shootout with police while he was on his way to kill people at the ACLU and the Tides Foundation. Beck has made numerous references to these groups and Williams regarded Beck as a teacher. In April of 2009, Richard Poplawski allegedly shot three police officers to death at his home. His best friend said that he “loved” Beck and was apparently worried that the government planned to intern dissidents in concentration camps.

The news of this latest case of domestic terrorism comes as Beck is ratcheting up the rhetoric of hate and hostility. His program today was dominated by his theory that it is the left who are prone to violence. His evidence of that was a few out of context quotes that employed analogies that no one in their right mind would take literally. Unfortunately, we’re talking about Glenn Beck here and, as we know, Glenn Beck is Unhinged.

Much his horror story was based on a portion of a speech by perennial Beck bogeyman, Van Jones. Here are the ghastly remarks by Jones where he described what he called a “nightmare scenario…”

“…where we’re going to see a nation more and more ethnically diverse, more and more culturally diverse, but less and less economically prosperous…If you know anything about history that is not a recipe for common ground. It is a recipe for a battleground. And you have opponents in this country who see the same scenario and their answer is fear the diversity. Their answer is attack the diversity.”

Clearly Jones is warning of potential trouble resulting from the ever-widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the disharmony we already see in Tea Party racism, immigrant bashing, and Beck’s own virulent anti-Semitism. Jones is not threatening violence. He is not advocating violence. He is merely observing a social trend that he views as troubling but avoidable if we act constructively and compassionately.

But what Beck hears is that “this is the bottom up, top down, and inside out theory”, wherein the people are organized to rise up so that the government can bring the top down turning us all inside out. Of course Beck invented this theory himself. It makes no sense whatsoever, but that doesn’t matter because he’ll just keep hammering it into the heads of his disciples until all they can do is repeat it robotically and assign whatever meaning to it that Beck says. And what Beck says is that…

“You have Latinos being organized. You have unions now being organized in the unemployment battle. You have unions in our churches. It’s the Czech Republic, 1948.”

See? When American workers, minorities, and people of faith are united in pursuit of their interests, and the interests of their neighbors and their nation, you have communism. And communism is the work of the Devil. And if you stand by and allow the forces of Satan to take control of your country, you are no better than the sinners who are out to enslave us all and impose a one-world government that answers only to the Prince of Darkness himself. But by all means do not resort to violence. It is just your country, your family and your eternal soul that is at stake.

And it’s after Beck berates you with that incomprehensible blather that he insists you make a choice. Poplawski, Williams and now Kimbley, made their choices. And Beck cannot disassociate himself from the demons he looses on society.

Post navigation

8 thoughts on “Another Glenn Beck Inspired Domestic Terrorist”

The defense to something like this is always something along the lines of ‘They were already crazy, I didn’t do anything to MAKE him commit violence.’ No, but you drill justification for it into their heads so an otherwise non-stressor becomes the straw to break the camel’s back. The ‘I’m just the nudger’ defense shouldn’t work as well as it does. Putting it on Joe Beck like his lawyer did there is a smart move; he’ll go away for a long time anyways, but not as long if he didn’t cite Glenn McCarthy brand brain soap.

It’s hard for Beck to pretend he has nothing to do with this when it’s been raised so much already. He is aware of the risk and chooses to ignore it. There have already been two previous incidents (at least), so this is more than speculation.

Plus his repeated calls for non-violence are a de facto admission that he knows the impact of his hostile rhetoric. You never hear Oprah doing that. It’s sort of his way of pacifying the lawyers.

Mark-
Long time reader, first time commenting..
For my own reference, do you have links referring to the other 2 incidents?
I would like to show it to my family of good, intelligent folks, active in their community, who have recently (last year or so) become die hard Beck disciples? -Evidence of the real damage being caused by his dementia/megalomania/greed. Being rural, they only receive AM and will listen to his show and also watch it on Fox News, never hearing the other side of the story. They are not gun owners or crazed christian fundamentalists, but retired atheist state workers. It’s easy to just label all his listeners as idiots, but the truth is that Beck is a helluva salesman and he has captured good minds as well. They honestly believe that he would not say something that he does not know to be true on the air, they become very defensive of my criticism of him and I now hear his words coming from their mouths.. Help!

Perhaps a casual guide of the most flagrant fundamental inaccuracies that need correction is in order? A sort of abridged Beck debunked guide. Something to arm us with that will allow factual support for civil and respectful discussion with our Beck converted friends/family, giving some food for thought before they go back to listening, believing every word he says as gospel..

Keep up the good work and continue taking the high road and sticking to the facts! Being stuck in Beck’s world, that’s all I have left..

Health Care bill would use federal money for the health of dogs.
Health Care bill would make fishing illegal.
Global warming doesn’t exist because it snows in late winter.
Federal FEMA concentration camps for dissenters.

The President of the United States of America was insufficiently vetted and/or there is a prodigious conspiracy to make him President, which is part of the larger (bat-shit insane) conspiracy of the new world order.
The first black President is racist.
Progressive/Socialist/Communist/demonic symbols are hidden in art around the country, including our money.
Progressives will kill you all.
It’s a good idea to buy gold at it’s highest prices ever.
Communism/Socialism is a mortal threat to this country.
The Chinese sub contrailer conspiracy (which is incredibly fucking crazy).
Death panels in the health care bill.
He’s going blind.
ACORN stole the election for the President.
Anything about reverse racism: Sotamayor (spelling), Van Jones, the health care bill is reparations, we only went into Haiti because it’s a black nation, and there are more but I have a life.
Lower taxes for the rich bring in more tax revenue.
God is the only answer in all of this.
A flock of geese flying qualifies as a miracle of god.

Thanks!
I find it hard to believe that I’m the only one visiting this site that’s in this, or a very similar situation with close friends, family or coworkers..
When they first began professing their adoration for Beck, I only had limited exposure to his message, but warned them that someone violently acting out on his fears and theories would be the inevitable outcome.
I just want them to hear both sides of a story and come to their own conclusions -even if those conclusions are the same, instead of letting someone else create a narrative for them..
and if I can’t reach them, I deeply fear for the rest of his audience.